Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

Once in our Kolkata Math, a bramhachari did not behave respectfully towards a householder devotee during a festival program, and Srila Tirtha Goswami Maharaj was not pleased with that.  He said: Household devotees come to math for a few days leaving aside all their material duties. They come to associate with the sadhus. It is not appropriate to be disrespectful towards them. If we have an ego that I am a brahmachari, I am a sanyasi, and they are grihastas, then we will not get the grace of the Supreme Lord.  We should give up all types of false ego. Mahaprabhu has instructed: yei bhaje sei bada, abhakta—hina, chara krishna-bhajane nahi jati-kuladi-vicar Anyone who takes to devotional service is exalted, whereas a non-devotee is always condemned and abominable. Therefore in the discharge of devotional service to the Lord, there is no consideration of the status of one’s family.  (Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya-lila 4.67) Whoever performs bhajan is exalted; there is n...

When I was serving in the m aṭha , I worked outside of his room on my laptop sometimes. Gurudeva saw me and asked, "Do you know typing? Can you type a letter for me? I told him I could do it, and he dictated what he wanted me to write. It was regarding some land next to the Dehradun maṭha that belonged to one of our god sisters. Gurudeva wanted to purchase that land and our god-sister also wanted to sell it. When he was dictating, I was shocked to discover that he not only knows not only spiritual matters, but also all about legal matters, financial matters, and every other aspect of business— he was a spiritual CEO! Each and every instruction he gave was not only spiritually but materially perfect. He was explaining how the land could be acquired, how to give the funds to that Mātājī—everything. Once I was translating Dasavatar. The Hindi translation is slightly tough and a little cryptic. I translated it with a bit of a whim. Gurudeva told, "You have to understand t...

After I joined math, I got a letter from my father. I asked Guru Maharaj if I can reply. He said, "No. If you reply, you will go home. You will not be able to stay in Math." My heart was floundering. After a few days, I got another letter. My mind got disturbed. I went to Guru Maharaj. He said, "I told you already if you reply, you will not be able to stay here." Some days later, about 32 - 34 persons from my village came there to Hazra Road (Kolkata) in search of me. I was sent by Guru Maharaj to another place. I did not understand the reason at the time. They searched for me, there but did not find me. They made all the arrangements for my marriage. They wanted to take me and get married. Guruji asked one devotee to take me to the station. I was surprised why Guruji wanted me to go all of a sudden. If those persons had seen me, it would have been difficult for me. —Gurudeva's words translated by Prahlad Das (2010)                ...

In his letters, he would ask me to chant Harinam. I used to give excuses saying that I am very busy in the morning—I have to take bath, get ready for school, and study. When we were together in Barrackpore he would say, "Sit here. Close your eyes and chant the Lord's name." After closing my eyes, I would think of everything other than the Lord. I did not understand the significance then. So, he would make me chant every day and then say, "Take bath now, take food and get ready for school." Later he wrote letters asking me to chant Krishna's one hundred names - Jai Jai Govinda, Gopal, Gadadhar - everyday. When I wrote a letter expressing my incapability to chant every day due to many other engagements he would reply, "You are able to do all other things, it is good. But you are not able to chant Harinam, this is not good. You should chant the Lord's name first thing every day." —Smt. Gita Majumdar - Sister younger by 12 years. Becam...